Forget about the countdown to Christmas or New Years, for music fans December is all about the countdown to the new album from The All-American Rejects. For months fans have had December 16th marked on their calendars as the glorious release date of “When the World Comes Down”, the much anticipated third album from AAR.

For the band (Tyson Ritter on vocals, Nick Wheeler on Guitar, Chris Gaylor on drums and Mike Kennerty on guitar) this has the makings of being their best album to date, but they won’t make that claim until their fans love it as much as they do. The band took all the time they needed to write the album and just as long to record it, making it a solid album from start to finish. They weren’t going to release it until it was a complete album and to AAR that means great songs from start to finish, not one great single and a bunch of filler.

While the first infectious single “Gives You Hell” is already charming the pants off of the music world with its deliciously funny video, the rest of the album offers up hints of the AAR of old as well as some evolution including “Another Heart Calls” – a duet with The Pierces, “Mona Lisa” recorded live in the studio, and the thought provoking “Believe”.

Currently playing some smaller club dates to warm up for the album’s release drummer Chris Gaylor took some time to talk to TWRY about the new album and all things AAR.

Anberlin is not a band about to leave their future up to chance. After five years with independed label Tooth & Nail the band (Stephen Christian on vocals, Deon Rexroat on bass, Joseph Milligan on guitar, Nathan Young on drums and Christian McAlhaney) made the jump to major label Univeral Republic and released their latest album New Surrender in September of 2008. With a new producer and a new album, New Surrender is their most cohesive album to date.

Recently wrapping up a headlining tour in the US the band headed down under for a tour with Chiodos and Silverstein. Following that they will head to Japan. With such an intense touring schedule it’s tough to imagine the band gets a chance to write much but drummer Nate Young assured us that even before New Surrender was released the band had been working on new song ideas and has plenty to work with.

Anberlin is well known for their socially conscious message and for always supporting charitable causes so it should come as no surprise to anyone that this spring they’ll be taking part in the “Pick Up The Phone” tour with Alkaline Trio. The tour hopes to raise awareness and money for suicide prevention. The shows will take place on college campuses from coast to coast. Nate Young took some time to tell us all about it and everything else going on in the world of Anberlin.

How long has Last Fast Action been a band? Were you guys in bands/involved in music before that? What is the history of your musical careers?

Dan: LFA has been a band for just about two years. Before this, we were in a band called The Dog and Everything. We both majored in music in college and have been playing in bands and musical groups since high school.You have known each other since high school? What is it like working with a best friend that you’ve known a large portion of your life?

Augie: It’s great! The key to my working relationship with Dan is that we compliment each other. In the writing phase Dan is the random, spontaneous, genius, guy, and I’m the guy that is more analytical about what chord would fit, or what we need to get a chorus to lift. In the recording/producing phase however Dan is the more analytical one, and I’m the random, Rick Rubin type guy.
Dan: Yes. Its totally awesome to work with your best friend. When you know each other for such a long period of time, you really know how the other person works and its easy to bring your ideas together into a working piece.

So, you consider yourself a two-piece? How is that different from being in a four-or five-piece band?

Augie: Well, we perform live with a full band. But, when it comes to writing its easy to work with two people. We have written in previous bands with 4 and 5 people, and the process can be fun, but very time consuming. Writing as a duo is just our niche. We both have the same vision about what a good song is and what we want this project to sound like.

The new songs on your Myspace sound very different from stuff a year or so ago. Why the new direction?

Augie: We have written all the new songs in the studio, and never thought about how we would perform the songs live. Usually when you play in an rock band you usually start out playing a song live and then go in to record it. So, we are basically doing things a little backwards. Writing in this way has been a very liberating experience. The whole idea of “how will we pull this off live?” can limit your imagination, and the scope of the sounds and textures you will use.
Dan: I wouldn’t say it’s a new direction. We try to write the best songs that we know how. And sometimes the way a song is dressed up can sound a little different but the core songs we write are the same. We have always enjoyed the freedom in which a more electronic sound brings to our music and we like to experiment and put our own twist on pop music culture.

Speaking of experimentation and writing, your new song is titled “Satellite.” What is it about?

Augie: It’s a spacey concept. Dan came up with that hook, and we thought satellite was just a really cool word. In my head I see this lonely satellite in cold orbit searching… for a friend. He had to come from somewhere, but now he is all alone. Where did he come from?? Why is he all-alone?? Come to think of it, it reminds me a bit of that Wall-E movie!
Dan: Satellite is a take on the idea of someone not wanting to be found and the “searching party” can feel like a cold and lonely place. Ie., lost in space, searching, endlessness, and the emotions you feel on that journey.

Listening to the song, I definitely pick up on the “space-y” theme. Other than being a duo, what makes you different from other bands out there?

Augie: We may sound very electronic, and non-organic these days, but the writing process could not be more organic, and real. Right down to the keyboard patches we use. Any of the new songs: ‘You Need To Know’, ‘Let Love Let Go’, “Satellite’, all use keyboard sounds I created from scratch. I think it comes from my background as a guitar player. I always wanna tweak sounds and make them what I hear in my head.
Dan: I think our blending of our influences be it rock, electronica, rap, pop. We don’t paint ourselves into a corner as far as how our music can sound. The most important thing to us is the song itself, and what its saying. As long as we keep that most important, we know everything else will fall into place sonically.

Ok, personal question time! Augie, you went from playing bass in an old band with Dan, to playing guitar in Last Fast Action, to now playing keys AND guitar. How have the experiences been different, and which has been your favorite?

Augie: I have been a guitar player my whole life, but am mostly known as a bass player because of the success of the Dog & Everything. In the beginning of Last Fast Action I was only playing guitar, and since June of ‘08 began getting on the keys. It felt like a natural progression in the song writing phase. And when the time came to take those songs to the stage that also felt like the thing to do.

And Dan, your hair is absolutely insane – any hair tips?

Dan: Sea salt, no seriously. I put sea salt in my hair. Makes it feel like I’ve been at the beach all day. And being from Chicago, any reminder of warm place is a good thing. For me it’s every time I touch my head.

Sea Salt, never would have guessed it. That’s definitely an unusual tip. And, speaking of unusual, what is the weirdest place you’ve ever played, and why?

Augie: Definitely the Upper Tap in Lexington, Illinois. The Upper Tap is this crazy little bar that pays us to come out and play as a duo!! So we get to rock out White Stripes style, just drums, guitar, and vox. And they let us play whatever we want. Something crazy always happens there.
Dan: By far one of the weirdest shows Augie and I have ever played was as the house band ringside at an amateur boxing match. That’s all I’m going to say, I can’t explain it. It was definitely a bad dream. To quote Augie at the gig, “Are we seriously here right now?”

I love the Upper Tap! You guys are seasoned performers, being in the local Chicago scene for years. If you could give a piece of advice to a new band, what would it be?

Augie: When you are starting out in a group you often sound a lot like your influences. Take time to develop what YOUR sound is going to be. Don’t get sucked in to sounding like the AP band of the month. In my experience it is the bands that sound different, and don’t fit in now, that are huge 12 months from now.
Dan: Ask yourself, what makes a good band? Then go listen to some of the great classic pop songs of the last 30 or 40 years. Figure out what made them popular and why. Then try to write the best songs you can write. Always put the song first.

Those are fantastic tips, guys. What’s in the works for the near future? What should fans be on the lookout for?

Augie: We are going to continue to write songs that inspire us, and if we are lucky, also inspires the world. If we achieve that everything else is irrelevant.
Dan: The future brings new music all the time. Instead of recording a record and touring on it for years, we want to constantly be releasing new songs every month. We just can’t get these ideas out fast enough.

Awesome! Thanks for chatting. I can’t wait to hear more from Last Fast Action!

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To download Last Fast Action’s new single “Satellite” visit their website.
For more information on Last Fast Action visit them on MySpace.

Fred Mascherino took the path that few musicians dare to tread, he left a successful band in the dust to write and release his solo album. It takes some guts, but beyond that it takes an unavoidable passion to follow the beat of one’s own drum, or in this case…one’s own guitar.

With Taking Back Sunday still in the rear view mirror Mascherino headed into the studio with producer Lou Giordano resulting in his first solo album titled Bend To Break. It was recorded in just four short weeks and was followed by a North American tour that allowed Fred’s fans to see him in a new light…as a commanding front man.

Now working on a second studio album Mascherino feels that his sound is constantly evolving and that there is always room to grow. Recently Fred took some time to talk to TWRY staffer Vicky about his solo project and the future of it, as well as his love and support for preserving our environment.

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